Photograph
by Sincerely The Sign Painter
Summary: Photographs are strange things. They have the power to capture the image of anything and anyone in any given time, trapping them forever within a small frame. Photographs hold memories of times of happiness and times of sorrow. They are proof of one's ever changing life. Sequel to: "At the cliffs edge, I will be waiting for you" but this story can still be read on its own.


Photographs are strange things. They have the power to capture the image of anything and anyone in any given time, trapping them forever within a small frame. Photographs hold memories of times of happiness and times of sorrow. They are proof of one's ever changing life. Even after 10 years Ibe still felt pain in his heart every time he looked at a picture of Eiji. Eiji would stare up at him though the picture with that innocent smile on his face, frozen forever. Sometimes Ibe would run find a picture of both Ash and Eiji standing together. These pictures were even harder to look at because they reminded him of the short time where both boys' lives intersected, and they found strength and life in each other.

Ibe looked at his calendar. It had been earlier that month, ten years ago, that Ibe had gotten that horrible phone call. He and Eiji had left America for the first time almost a year prior to that fateful phone call from New York. Eiji was finally fully healed from the bullet wound and he was anxious to return to America and Ash. The phone call changed everything. Max had told Ibe that Ash was found dying in the library and died 24 hours later in the hospital. Eiji was devastated. Ibe could do nothing for him except accompany him back to America. The funeral was a subdued event and afterwards Eiji had stayed behind to mourn at Ash's grave. Ibe had went back to their hotel room by himself to pack for their flight that was leaving that night. He had felt uncomfortable leaving Eiji there but had decided that the young man needed space.

He regretted his decision ever since.

When it started to get late Ibe returned to the small graveyard to fetch Eiji. He took his time getting there, wanting to give Eiji as much time as possible to say his goodbyes. He knew that after they left, there would be a good change Eiji would never be able to visit Ash's grave again. When he had arrived at the graveyard, he found it empty. At first thought that Eiji had fallen asleep in front of Ash's tombstone, using the other gravestones to block him from view but as he approached, he found that was not the case. Eiji was not in the graveyard. A chill went down Ibe's spine that had nothing do to with the weather, which had gotten colder since the future. Something didn't feel right. It wasn't like Eiji to wander off. The last words Eiji's had spoken to Ibe came back to him.

"_Thank you…for everything. I'm happy I got to meet Ash. I'm happy I got to meet all of them."_

The words felt like a goodbye but at the time Ibe thought it was geared towards Eiji's American friends and Ash. Some was wrong. Eiji needed to be around other people to help him work though his grief. Ibe shouldn't have left him alone. With another shutter Ibe pulled out his phone dialed Max's number. There were plenty of places where Eiji could wandered in the wide-open rural area and Ibe wanted back up in his search.

It was getting dark by the time they found anything. It was Max who called, saying he found Eiji's stuff at the side of a cliff. These words sent a new thrill of dread up his spine. Max said they found only Eiji's things. What happened to Eiji? With his heart in his throat Ibe ran to the place Max had described.

The cliffs edge was steep with sharp rocks at the bottom. Ibe all but ran to look over. There, floating in the violent waters below, smashed on the rocks, were the items Eiji had on him. Ibe could see Eiji's sweater and passport being tossed around by the dark water, both had spatters of something red on them. Ibe feared it was blood. Pulling his head back he turned and noticed that Eiji had pulled off his shoes and left them near the cliff's edge.

"There was a letter in them." Max informed him. "I couldn't read it. It's in Japanese." He held out a small envelop. Ibe mutely took it and opened it with shaking hands.

_Ibe-san,_

_By the time you read this I will be with Ash._ _I couldn't bear to get back on that plane and returned to Japan. I cannot pretend that nothing happened. I can't go back to a life without Ash. I can no longer return to the person I once was. Ash was my all and I want to be with him forever. This is not your fault. I am glad you brought me to America. I am glad things turned out the way they did. I am glad I met Ash._

_I am acting very selfish I know. Please don't be too upset. Also please explain all this to my family. Please help them not to mourn me too much. I know they won't understand so please help them understand. When we returned to Japan after I got shot, I felt dead inside. I was waiting to heal enough to return to America, to return to Ash. I have returned to America and now I have been united with Ash. I am happy. Please return to your normal life and don't worry about me. Thank you for everything you've done for me. Don't regret bring me back to America._

_I wish the best for your future._

_-Eiji_

Ibe finished the letter and stared at the paper. The waves crashing below filled his head with an empty buzzing sound. This was worst then he had thought. He should have stayed with Eiji. He should have dragged him back to the hotel. He should have convinced him to see a therapist. He had the chance to prevent this tragedy and failed.

"What does it say?" Max asked worriedly. Ibe snapped back to reality and pulled himself together. Although he wanted to sink to the ground and grieve for the young man who he had brought to his grave; he was an adult and needed to keep it together. There would be time later, when he was alone, to mourn over Eiji and regret bring him to New York. There would be time to dwell over all the things he should have said or done to prevent this from happening.

As he explained the letter to Max in English the latter's face fell in horror. He took control of the situation and called the police. They pulled all of Eiji's items out of the water but could not find a body. The police said there were sharks in the water and Eiji's body was most likely taken by them. It made Ibe sick to think of Eiji's body, cold and lifeless, getting torn apart by sharks. It took all the self-restraint he had to keep himself from openly crying.

After the items were collect, Ibe went with the police back to the station to have the items shipped back to Japan, to Eiji's family. Before the box was sealed, Sing nicked Eiji's sweater. Max, Ibe, Sing, and many of Ash's gang who were fond of Eiji dug up Ash's grave. They put the sweater on top of the coffin. After burying it again Max had the headstone above updated so it read:

_Here lies Ash Lynx and Eiji Okumura._

_Two souls intertwined as one_

_Reborn and together forever at last._

Telling Eiji's family had been horrible. Mrs. Okumura had yelled herself horse at Ibe. She blamed him for taking her son to America. She blamed him for not keeping an eye on him. Her aguish shriek still sometimes echoed through his dreams at night. After yelling at him Mr. Okumura had kicked him out of the house. He had never seen or heard from the Okumuras again. Mrs. Okumura hated him and never wanted anything to do with him again. She probably hated Ibe more than anyone else in the world…. No that wasn't true.

She hated Ash more. If Ibe had been the carrier who carted her son away from her, then Ash was death itself. He had removed bits and pieces of her son one after another. First, he took her son's safety and Eiji had only returned after sustaining a major bullet wound. Then Ash had taken her son's soul. After Eiji returned to Japan it was clear to her that Eiji was just going through the motions of living, eager to return to America, to Ash. After that Ash took her son's heart. She had watched her son break down and cry in a way that he had never cried before. Then finally when she had thought he couldn't take anymore Ash had stolen her son's life.

When Eiji had returned to Japan after his trip to America she had done some research online to try to find out more about this Ash who her son was so taken in by. What came up disturbed her. Prostitute, gang leader, criminal, murderer. These words flew out at her, all connected with stories that made her blood curl in horror. She had pieced together a basic story of Ash's wrong doings from these articles and news headlines. It was from those that she concluded what happened in America. Her son had been seduced by some pretty American gang leader who wanted a new play thing. She had cornered Ibe once when he was visiting Eiji and demanded to know why he had let her son be toiled with. She wanted to hear how he justify why he let Eiji be taken in by such a horrible person. Ibe had tried his best to quells her fears but she didn't buy his excuses. The only reason he was not thrown out of the house that day was that Ash was dead and she felt that he could no longer hurt her son. She had only reluctantly agreed to let Eiji return to America for the funeral, if only as a means for her son to be able to move on with his life.

Thinking back Ibe still couldn't think of a way he could have explained Eiji's and Ash's relationship. He could say that Ash had reasons for her actions but that was very little comfort. Ibe didn't think he could explain it to her, how Eiji's face lit up every time Ash was in the room. How Eiji went from acting like a timid and obedient child to a strong independent young man who knew what he wanted. When Ibe compared photos of Eiji before and during his trip to New York it was clear how much Eiji had changed for the better. Eiji had needed this change. Eiji had needed New York. Eiji had needed Ash.

A loud bing from his computer brought Ibe out of thoughts of the events that took place 10 years ago. He shook himself a little and placed the picture he was holding of Ash and Eiji back into the drawer. He needed to get his head out of the clouds. It was all in the distant past, he couldn't change that. There was no reason to dwell on it. Ibe gave a sigh and turned to his computer. He opened his inbox and found a new email from Max.

_Ibe,_

_Check out this picture. Call me._

_-Max_

_I_be clicked on the picture in the bottom right of the screen. It popped up revealing two people in swimsuits, a young man and a young woman. They were standing on a tropical beach under a palm tree. It took a few minutes for Ibe to realize that the young man Michael, now a teenager. The young woman was probably his girlfriend from the way she had her arms around Michael's waist. Both were waving happily and on the bottom of the picture were the words Hawaii, Coco hotel. Ibe frowned at the screen. Although he and Max kept in contact these last 10 years they didn't talk very much. When they did it was usually about work related things. Ibe knew that Max loved his son, but it was kind of ridiculous. Why did Max send him a picture of his son and then ask him to call? He had never sent him pictures of his family before other than the wedding picture after he got remarried. Ibe was just about to click out of the photo when something in the far-right corner of it caught his attention.

There was another couple was walking together on the beach in the background. They were also wearing swim suits and looked like they were in their late 20s early 30s. One was Japanese, with gentle dark brown eyes and long dark hair that was pulled back with a blue scrunchie. He was laughing, his head turned slightly away so only his profile was visible. The other person was American, with messy blond wet hair that fell in every direction and dark jade eyes that pierced the soul. He was facing the camera; a huge easy going smiles on his beautiful face. The two people were holding each other's hand and talking, unaware of the camera that caught their image. Ibe started at the picture, his mouth opened his heart beating fast. There was no doubt who these two people looked like. Quick he scrabbled across the room to where he left his phone on the bed. He picked it up and headed back to his laptop while dialing Max's number. On the third ring Max picked up.

"Did you get the picture?" Max demanded automatically his voice ringing with excitement.

"Yeah I did." Ibe said taking a deep breath. He needed to keep a level head about this. "But it can't be them. They are dead. This must be a mistake."

"I thought so too at first." Max said. "I thought my mind was playing tricks on me or that they were ghost or something. But then I thought 'How many people do you know with eyes like Ash's? And he just happens to be walking with someone who looks exactly like Eiji? It can't be a coincidence.'"

"Max," Ibe said trying to talk reason into his friend. "I know they look exactly like Ash and Eiji but that might just be us. We might desperately want those two to be alive."

"I knew you were going to say that." Max said. "That's why I sent you the picture without telling you why. What's the chances we both saw those two?"

"Even so…"

It was quiet on the other end. Max seemed to be deep in thought.

"How fast do you think you can get over here?" he finally asked. Ibe blinked in surprise.

"Tomorrow evening at the earliest." He finally said. "Why?"

"Because." Max said taking a deep breath, "There's only one way to find out the truth. We need to dig up Ash's grave, so we know once and for all."

The graveyard looked a lot less tranquil in the dark. The green lush trees appeared dark and cryptic after sunset. The sounds of waves echoed eerily out from beyond the silent mist. The wind blew chilling and angry though the grass. Max and Ibe huddled together before Ash's grave. The moon was hidden behind fast-moving dark clouds and there was no light except for the battery powered lantern that Max brought. This made the darkness seem closer as if it was breathing down their necks ready to strike. Ibe pulled his coat closer, uncomfortable glancing around. Max had said it was best if they dug at night in case a local saw them. They didn't need to be arrested for grave robbery, even so Ibe wished they could do it when it was day. Max reached into the bag and began set out different tools he brought. He places them one by one in the dirt before them: shovels, hammers, gloves, a hoe, and two small axes. Ibe eyes the axes in surprise.

"Are those really necessary for digging up Ash's body?" Ibe asked in a hushed voice.

"They're for the coffin." Max whispered back as he put on one of the pairs of gloves. Ibe copied him his attention still on the sharp objects.

"Wouldn't a crowbar be more useful in this case?" he asked the American. "It seems extreme to hack the coffin to pieces. We could just pry off the lid."

"We can't" Max said. "The lid is sealed shut. There's no way we'd be able getting it off." Ibe paused one glove half on his hand.

"Why did you seal it?" He asked confused.

"I didn't." Max admitted. "The morgue did." He looked up to find Ibe staring confused. Max sighed and continued his story. "They didn't want to hand over Ash's body because of his criminal record. They told me it was dangerous to hand it over to anyone who was not a direct family member because Ash had a lot of enemies. They didn't want Ash's body to be desecrated and were going to burry him in a public grave." Max sighed again and his voice became irrigated. "Ash's father didn't want anything to do with it. It took time but I finally convinced the people in charge to give me Ash's body. They did so under the condition that they would sealed the coffin first so that no one could take out or desecrate his remans." Ibe listened with a small frown on his face. If Max didn't see the inside of the coffin, then there was more of a change that Ash could still be alive.

"Anyways." Max said picking up a shovel. "We'll know in a few minutes if Ash's body is really inside."

They worked in silence, only pausing if they heard a noise. Ibe was extremely jumpy. It was clear that they were breaking the law by doing this, but he needed to know the truth. If Ash was alive then the other person had to be Eiji.

_By the time you read this I will be with Ash._

That was what Eiji wrote on his letter. He never said that he was going to kill himself. He never brought up death at all. Ibe also knew that Ash wouldn't have let Eiji kill himself. They had never found Eiji's body…Ibe shook his head angrily. He was getting ahead of himself. They could easily open up the coffin and find Ash's body inside. There was a good change that was what was going to happen.

Finally, after what felt like hours Max's shovel hit something hard. He jumped down and brushed away some dirt. Underneath was the lid of the coffin. They finished uncovered it enough so they could pull it up. After they did so they found the scrap remands of Eiji's tattered sweater. Ibe felt a lump in his throat form at the sight but pushed it down as he removed the item. Max grabbed the axe and Ibe followed. The sound of the axes hacking the wood rang though the air and Ibe was sure they were going to get caught. After about five good swings the coffin lid gave a loud crack and split. Max paused then pulled open the lid.

It was empty.

On the bottom of the coffin there was some small concrete block plastered to give the imprison of a human's weight but there was no human remains at all. Max scanned the coffin then gave out a long sigh, falling back on the dirt.

"Damn him." He muttered then gave a chuckle. "All this time…he had me so worried." Ibe looked down at it his heart pumping. Those men in the picture…they were truly Ash and Eiji. He gave a sigh and sunk to the ground. He felt so tired now as if he had succeed in running a marathon. As they sat there smiling stupidly and giving weak laughs, they heard a rustle in a nearby bushes. Both men froze in terror. After a few minutes however there was no more sounds.

"Probably nothing." Ibe muttered.

"Even so." Max said grabbing one end of the coffin. "We should put this back and burry it. We don't know if someone saw us and the last thing we need are the cops to get involved."

It was much later that they made their way into the small hotel room that Max was renting. The clock told Ibe it was 3:00 am but he was not at all tired, in fact he felt more awake then he had in a long time. Max sat down at his computer and Ibe sat down on the bed and pulled out a paper copy of the picture that he had printed. Both looked down at the two boys laughing in the background.

"I don't get it." Ibe finally said. "Why didn't Eiji just tell us that he was going to fake his death or Ash for that matter." Or at least why didn't Eiji tell him? He felt hurt that Eiji hadn't trusted him enough for something as important as this.

"Probably because the knowledge could put you in danger." Max said.

"I would rather be in danger then not know." Ibe grumbled.

"Eiji didn't want to take that chance." Max said. "He chose to go with Ash, and he was not going to drag anyone else down with him. Even so I'm so glad that I saw this picture." Ibe looked back down at the picture and sighed.

"Our boys are alive." Ibe said. Max surveyed the picture and his smile broadened.

"Oh, It's more than just that." Max said pushing the photo closer to Ibe. "Look at them. Look at their faces. Ash looks more relax now then he ever did before."

"And Eiji looks so much more alive." Ibe muttered thinking back to the mellow faced young man he knew. Another line from Eiji's note flashed though his head.

_I am acting very selfish I know. Please don't be too upset._

Yes, Eiji had acted selfish. Both Ibe, Max, Ash's gang, Sing, and his family all suffered from his actions. At the same time Ibe understood why he did it. He needed Ash and if Ash had disappeared Eiji might never recovered. Eiji needed Ash. Ash needed Eiji.

"Ho ho." Max chuckled suddenly sounding very pleased. "Check out their figures." Ibe's eyes wandered to the intertwined hands of the men. They both wore identical simple silver rings. Ibe's eyes widened as he understood what that meant.

"They married." He gasped.

"It seems like our boys are more then just alive." Max laughed. "They are living. They are happy. They found peace." The two men were quiet as they stared down at the picture, both smiling.

"What are we going to do now?" Ibe finally asked. Max seemed to snap back to reality. He pulled up his computer and began typing.

"We are going to destroy all evidence that this picture ever exists." He said. Ibe's mouth fell open.

"Why?" he asked confused.

"Because Ash still has many enemies." Max said, eyes glued to his computer. "And some will still want to get him after all this time. Even if they don't want to kill him, he is still has a pretty face and a high IQ. That makes him a target for many who have heard of him." He clicked a few more buttons. "I just deleted the email I sent you." He looked up and Ibe "You need to do the same." Ibe stared at him.

"If those two are still alive." He started slowly. "Don't you want to try to find them?" Max paused and looked up at him.

"Oh, course I do." The American said quietly. "I want to find Ash and give him a piece of my mind. I want to slap that boy across the face then hug and congratulate him. I bet you want to do the same for Eiji. But what good will that do? If we track them down, then others might be able to find them too. We'll be putting them in jeopardy after they have already found peace and quiet. We might be in danger ourselves because of this information. Our families and friend could also be in danger. The best thing we can do for these two, ourselves and everyone we care about is to pretend it doesn't exist."

"I see." Ibe said nodding sadly. "You're right." He pulled up his own computer and found the email. Max paused what he was doing and frowned at Ibe.

"Did anyone else see the picture or did you send it to anyone else?" Max asked worriedly. Ibe shook his head as he finished deleting the picture. Max gave a relieved sigh.

"Alright then." He muttered "I'll delete the original off of Michael's camera." He clicked a few buttons.

"Doesn't Michael have another copy of the picture?" Ibe asked turning to Max.

"I confiscated the camera after I saw the picture." Max said, "Michael didn't have time to up load it."

"I see, so we're done then." Ibe said.

"Not exactly." Max said hesitantly. "We still have that paper copy you printed out." Ibe froze. He didn't want to get rid of the last that proof Eiji was alive and well.

"I was going to keep it." Ibe said slowly. "I'll hid in someone that no one else could find. That way no one will see it and then they won't know that those two are still alive."

"If you want to." Max said shrugging. "I'm not going to force you to hand it over. However, I will say this, keeping that picture is a risk. You don't know what's going to happen in the future and if someone else did find the picture…" Ibe bit his lip. He knew Max was right. He knew he had to be mature about it and destroy it. He turned his attention back to the picture in his hands. Ibe felt a sense of lost. He didn't want it to disappear. Ibe paused for a moment and then gave a long sigh, pulling out a lighter. He put it under the picture and watched as the bottom starting to burn. First Michael and the girl burned away, then the two men in the background were consumed. As the picture crumpled to ash Ibe felt, for the first time in 10 years, a sense of peace completely guilt free. He knew he made the right choice protecting Ash and Eiji. He knew it would be alright from now on.

Photographs are strange things. They have the power to capture the image of anything and anyone in any given time, trapping them forever within a small frame. Photographs hold memories of times of happiness and times of sorrow. They are proof of one's ever changing life. This was one picture that could not be shown to the world but Ibe had it still had it in his heart and mind. The Japanese man smiled softly and looked out the window.

_"Good luck Eiji and Ash where ever you are. I hope you continue to live freely the lives you want to live."_


End file.
